Today HSJ, in association with NHS Improving Quality, launches the second phase of its campaign to achieve better transformational change within the NHS.

Poor project management, undervaluing staff and adopting a low-risk approach to change management are some of the key blocks to achieving transformational change in the NHS.

These barriers were identified by hundreds of people responding to our on-going Change Challenge campaign.

The Challenge Top-Down Change initiative uses a crowdsourcing methodology, created by our partner Clever Together, to enable users to exchange and rate ideas. Launched last month by HSJ, together with its sister title Nursing Times and NHS Improving Quality, the aim is to identify the best ways to help the NHS drive real and sustainable change.

During the first phase of the campaign, we asked readers what the barriers to bottom-up change are, and what are the fundamental building blocks for change? So far 1,455 people have got involved, between them offering 7,500 contributions.

The barriers identified were:

  • Confusing strategies
  • Over-controlling leadership
  • One way communication
  • Poor workforce planning
  • Stifling innovation
  • Playing it safe
  • Poor project management
  • Undervaluing staff
  • Inhibiting environment
  • Perverse incentives

Contributors from across the globe also identified fundamental building blocks – key ingredients necessary for the NHS the change. Among those suggested were collaborative working, fostering an open working culture and inspiring and supportive leadership.

The fundamental building blocks for change were:

  • Inspiring and supportive leadership
  • Collaborative working
  • Flexibility & adaptability
  • Smart use of resources
  • Autonomy and trust
  • Challenging the status quo
  • A call to action
  • Fostering an open culture
  • Nurturing our people
  • Seeing the bigger picture
  • Thought diversity

For the second phase of this campaign we will be asking readers to further engage with how the NHS delivers change and come up with solutions to the barriers to change as suggested by contributors.

Our conversation begins today. All ideas will be shared anonymously and refined by participants.

To submit your suggestions go to the crowdsourcing platform.

This work will culminate in March with the publication of an interactive toolkit setting out how to drive change in the NHS.

Topics

HSJ launches second phase of change challenge campaign